Jeremiah 19:1-6

Expanded Bible

Judah Is like a Broken Jar

19 This is what the Lord said to me: “Go and buy a clay ·jar [jug] from a potter. ² Take some of the elders of the people and the ·priests [^Lelders of the priests], and go out to the Valley of Ben Hinnom, near the front of the Potsherd Gate. There speak [proclaim] the words I tell you. ³ Say, ‘Kings of Judah and ·people [^Linhabitants] of Jerusalem, listen to this ·message [^Lword] from the Lord. This is what the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; ^Tof hosts], the God of Israel, says: I will soon bring ·a disaster [evil; trouble] on this place [^CJudah and Jerusalem] that will ·amaze and frighten [^Ltingle the ears of] everyone who hears about it. ⁴ They [^Cthe people of Judah] have ·quit following [abandoned; forsaken] me. They have made this a place for foreign gods. They have burned sacrifices to other gods that neither they, nor their ·ancestors [fathers], nor the kings of Judah had ever known before. They filled this place with the blood of innocent people. ⁵ They have built ·places on hilltops to worship [^Lhigh places to; ^Csites associated with pagan worship or inappropriate worship of God] Baal [^CGod of the Canaanites], where they burn their children in the fire to Baal. That is something I did not command or speak about; it never even ·entered my mind [^Lcame up in my heart; Lev. 18:21; Deut. 12:31; 18:10]. ⁶ Now people call this place the Valley of Ben Hinnom [2 Kin. 23:10–11] or Topheth [^C“Spit”], but the days are coming, says the Lord, when people will call it the Valley of Killing [Slaughter; 7:30–34].